"Watch your words, Meffert warns after crushing cup exit" - HSV's bitter defeat at Hertha BSC
Tim Walter, HSV's coach, expressed his disappointment following a heart-breaking defeat.
HSV was in control of the cup round of 16 against Hertha BSC, leading 2:1 through Immanuel Pherai and Laszlo Benes, even after Fabian Reese scored the equalizer in regular time. HSV regained the lead with Ransford Königsdörffer's goal, only to concede the equalizer in extra time thanks to Jonjoe Kenny's 120th-minute strike. The 6-8 defeat in the ensuing penalty shootout meant that HSV missed out on the 1.7 million euro entry bonus for the quarter-finals.
Jonas Meffert's frustration boiled over: "I gotta be careful not to say the wrong thing. I'm feeling pretty emotional right now. I don't know how we didn't manage to win here."
The late equalizers, inexplicable to Meffert: "As a top team, it's simply unacceptable. They got through on the wings twice? Once, I can understand. But not a second time. It was completely unnecessary, no matter what."
Notably, Hertha BSC's Fabian Reese, with two goals, one assist, and the decisive penalty, relentlessly attacked the overworked right-back William Mikelbrencis.
Captain Sebastian Schonlau, returning after a 60-minute injury layoff, had some encouraging words to say: "It's no coincidence, of course. We have to be a bit smarter in certain situations and stop their attacks earlier."
The central defender also offered some words of comfort: "It was a truly exceptional performance. There was plenty of determination and grit. I'm proud of the lads. It's a shame, but it was still a testament to our resilience."
This crushing defeat put an end to HSV's dreams of reaching the cup final, with only three first-division teams still in the running. The 1.7 million euros in bonus money were lost as well.
Despite the disappointment, sporting director Jonas Boldt tried to find the positives: "It happens in the game. We played well, and Hertha still went all out. Goals like that do happen. It was certainly frustrating, but that was the first penalty shootout I've lost since joining HSV."
The cup dreams are now over, and the promotion goal is still within reach. HSV faces Paderborn in their next match at Volkspark. According to coach Walter, the team will not carry any lingering cup frustration into the game.
And Walter explains: "Because of the way we played. We fought back against St. Pauli, and we've done it again and scored some beautiful goals. We just need to give ourselves a little more credit for our performance. We're on the right track, and we need to keep it up."
Somehow you've heard these sentiments over and over at HSV...
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Note: Enrichment data from the original article has been incorporated naturally throughout the revised text to strengthen the narrative without overwhelming it.
